Child Abuse Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Child Abuse - Case Study Example Also, please cite your references. The paper needs to be approximately 3 pages long. Child abuse is considered to be the mistreatment, abuse and violence towards children by a parent, close relative or guardian, which may have detrimental effects on the child's physical, emotional and psychological state(Bartholet, 2000). This paper will analyze the case study of a ten year old boy called Peter, who became the victim of child abuse. The overall goal of this paper is to understand the causes and factors associated with child abuse and neglect and its consequences in the lights of broad and diverse academic resources. Research suggests that physical abuse is considered to be the abuse which involves intentional and purposeful acts of aggression and violent behavior that can damage and harm the child. Research also suggests the physical abuse takes place when adults are in the state of anger and are unable to control it. Therefore, they slap, punch, strike at the child (Briere & Bulkley, 2000). It is sad that children like Peter often become the target of physical violence. From research it is evident that unemployment, poverty, absence of father from the family, drug addiction are considered to be one of the main factors, which lead to physical child abuse. 4. Parental Causes of Child Abuse Child abuse is often associated with parents. Following are the parental causes that lead to child abuse: 1. Parents had themselves been victims of physical assault as children. There is a complete cycle of violence. Parents, who had been the victims, frequently assault and beat their children. 2. Research suggests that frequently unwanted pregnancy also leads to child abuse. A sick or disabled child also becomes the target of physical assault at the hands of the parent. 3. Parents often do not support their children, when they face problems in their academics or social life. Frequently, children are slapped and beaten as part of their disciplined training 4. Indistinct and unclear limitations, where the boundary and limitations between the child and the parent are not defined. In such cases, both roles are undefined and hence, physical violence takes place (Bartholet, 2000). 5. Physical assault also takes places, when the parent suffers from pyshcological disorder. In order to express his or her aggression, the parent resort to violence and beats his or her child in an attempt to calm down. 6. Research suggests that in some culture, children are awarded corporal punishments in order to discipline them Ecological

Collaborative Models in Elementary Education Classroom Research Paper

Collaborative Models in Elementary Education Classroom - Research Paper Example Different ways exist in which the children can obtain instructional support. I would approach teachers with the fact that collaboration enables students to learn in a minimal restrictive environment. In an assessment of whether the children are all having the same learning experience, I would be able to generate a report to show that special needs children need more specialized learning techniques as compared to the regular students. I will bring the teachers into account by telling them that each of them is responsible for everything that happens in a particular classroom. There should be a closer working association between the regular teachers and the special needs teachers (Solis, Vaughn, Swanson & Mcculley, 2012). The special education teachers are responsible for delivery of content in areas they are certified and experienced in, as a way of supporting teachers with no background in special education. I will therefore stress the importance of incorporating collaboration models such as team teaching in the school curriculum. This will involve the special and regular education teachers working together to cater for the needs and curiosity of all the students. The special education teachers guide the regular teachers on how to make alterations in the teaching skills in order to satisfy the needs of all students (van Garderen, Hanuscin, Lee & Kohn, 2012). van Garderen, D., Hanuscin, D., Lee, E., & Kohn, P. (2012). QUEST: A collaborative professional development model to meet the needs of diverse learners in K†6 science. Psychology in the Schools, 49(5),

Art is life Essay Example for Free

Art is life Essay Art is life, it is beauty, it is emotion, it is you, it is me, it is everything. Art defines all that we are, and all that we could become. Art is of the past and of the future, of the influences of our daily lives, of our pasts combined with who we are today. Art is an indescribable joy, an expansion of the mind, body and soul. We are art, every last individual of the human race. Art comes in the form of music, dance, theater, painting, drawing, blowing, throwing, and even in the math equations or scientific experiments of the right brained population. Art is feeling, seeing, smelling, tasting and hearing. Art is here to titillate our senses, to create emotional and physical reactions to the viewer. Art is healing. Art is loving. Art is†¦ everything. The Value of Art After a distinctly self-contemplative night, I began to wonder what it is that attracts people to art. Certainly I consider myself an artist of sorts†¦ but what is it that makes me an artist? Why do I practice art? Why does anyone immerse themselves in abstract activities that, for the most part, do not add to financial security or other measurable values? We know that art has been around before written language. Ancient carvings and cave-wall paintings attest to an early drive to participate in artistic endeavors. I would say that our skills as artists have improved since the first cave paintings†¦ but I think there must be the same seed of creativity that connects long forgotten ancestors and modern artists. I think that the most obvious similarity is that dedicated artists tend to create art that reflects important aspects of their lives. When it comes to ancient man, what could have been more important than food and reproduction? Ancient art is ripe with images of hunting and pregnant women. As human society evolved into more stable communities, the art changed. Over time the focus on survival was supplanted with self-emulation. In ancient Egypt, for example, the art turned to worshipping the value of great kings and all-powerful gods. The same happened in most cultures. I doubt that common slaves of Egypt felt that preserving kingly honor for eternity was a motivating factor; slaves probably would have produced an entirely different art than what we  find in tombs had they the resources to create art. What is telling is that the art that survived from ancient times reflects directly the values of the people producing and preserving it: in terms of Egypt†¦ it was of the Pharaohs. European Medieval art reflects a mixture of pagan and Christian ideals. We can deduce that local kings whose roots were largely pagan mixed with the influence of Rome. The artistic work commissioned throughout this time is a constant reminder of those influences. Take this on up to our own time. An important note to take is that as the traditional religious values of historic importance in the west have been challenged in intellectual circles, the focus of art has strayed. Prehistoric art was focused on life and death†¦ ancient art turned to the afterlife and mysticism; modern art has no focus. I am confident that mass media and the internet have a large role in the change†¦ perhaps we are still too early in the new era to be able to define the motivating factor behind the art that will last; but I feel that the reality is that art has no focus in our age because it is not the secluded craft of the gifted and appointed.

Exploring the issue of child poverty

Exploring the issue of child poverty There are two terms of poverty absolute and relative. Absolute refers to the amount of basics that we need to survive and relative is the standards of living in a society at any particular time (Kelly McKendrick 2007). This essay aims to discuss the impact of poverty on community and social care, the influences it has on health across the lifespan, the relevance to nursing practice, services available to address the problem and local policies on poverty. Poverty is when a household income (adjusted for the size and make-up of the household) is less than 60% of the UK average income. The circumstances that cause poverty are wide-ranging and include many day-to-day things including health, housing, education, employment and access to services (The Scottish Government 2010). There has been a steady growth of child poverty in Scotland and in the UK in the last few years. Accordingly households in Scotland where income is lower than most can be considered to be living in poverty (Kelly McKendrick 2007). The Government wants to provide children and young people with the best start in life. The Governments pledge in 1999 to end child poverty by 2020 has already led to 600,000 fewer children in poverty in the UK. Although progress has been made, 2.9 million children still remain in poverty. With the introduction of The Child Poverty Bill in 2009 the Government will be answerable to Parliament on the progress of this Bill (DCSF 2009). Poverty is not only happening in this country but all over the world. A report out by a leading charity has announced that 4 million children are living in poverty and about 1.7 million children are living in severe poverty in the UK one of the richest countries in the world (Save the Children 2010). Child poverty restricts childrens involvement to activities and services. While some children will grow up in low income households and go on to achieve their goals many will not. Poverty places stress on family life and excludes children from everyday activities which other children take for granted (David Piachaud 2005). The barriers which Lone parents face when they try to move from benefits to work can be that Employers are often reluctant to employ them; which means that lone parents worry about combining work with their childcare responsibilities. Financial stability is crucial, but it is often hard to achieve. Some lone parents working into low-paid jobs find they are simply worse off in work than living on benefits. Citizens Advice argues that adequate support for parents lies in breaking down the barriers to going back to work, the re-organising of the tax and welfare systems, ensuring appropriate childcare; and for employers to provide more flexible jobs (Citizens Advice 2008). Adair Turners Pension Commission report has set out new policies on pensions. The changes to retirement ages which are set to rise to 66 by the year 2030, 67 by 2040 and 68 at 2050. Turner proposes that the Basic State Pension would increase in line with earnings instead of prices from 2010 bringing a rise in income for pensioners. There would also be a reduction in means-tested benefits such as Pension Credit which the Commission believes act as a deterant to saving. After some pressure by Help the Aged, among others, Adair Turner has decided that entitlement to pensions should be based on residency instead of contributions from the age of 75, while the complex State Second Pension (S2P) would eventually become a flat-rate extra payment. Turner has also set up a National Pension Savings Scheme (NPSS) which would mean workers would pay 4 per cent of their salary into their pension, alongside additional contributions from the Government and employers (Help the Aged 2010). There are a number of benefits available to help people on low incomes. These are Jobseekers Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, Pension Credit and Income Support and from April 2004 Child Tax Credit and Child Benefit. Income Support is a means tested benefit for people whose income falls below a specified level or who have no other source of income. Welfare payments are an important source of household income in Scotland almost one sixth of household income in Scotland comprises welfare payments and state pensions combined. Therefore making household incomes in Scotland more reliant on welfare benefits than any other parts of the UK (Kelly McKendrick 2007). The introduction of a National Minimum Wage (NMW) was a major feature of the Labour Partys manifesto. Following their election the Government set up an independent Low Pay Commission to recommend the level of the NMW and how it should apply to young people and people in training. The reasons put forward to support an NMW cover three broad areas; social a minimum wage would target low pay and poverty; equity a minimum wage reduces exploitation, protects employers, and cuts the cost to taxpayers of topping up low incomes via the social security system; economic extra demand in the economy would increase employment; a minimum wage could also boost investment and productivity (CIPD 2009). Child Trust Fund (CTF) is a savings and investment account for children. Children born on or after 1 September 2002 will receive a  £250 voucher to start their account. The account belongs to the child and cant be touched until they turn 18, so that children have some money behind them to start their adult life (Child Trust Fund 2010). A large income gap between the most weathly and the worst off in society is closely associated with higher death rates worldwide, especially for younger adults, finds a study published on bmj.com today as part of a global theme issue on poverty and human development. Studies show that greater income inequality in a nation is associated with higher mortality rates, but most have focused on wealthier nations. However, it has recently been suggested that the effects of income inequality on health are of importance worldwide, not just in wealthy nations. There is also some evidence that this effect is more pronounced at different ages. They confirm that the impact of income inequality on health is real and that it has a greater influence on mortality in wealthier countries between the ages of 15 and 29, and worldwide between the ages of 25 and 39 (BMJ 2007). If being poor is bad for you, living in a cold home can be lethal. The annual figures published on excess winter deaths are the best we have from official sources however there are no figures which take in the knock-on costs to the NHS of cold-related illnesses, In the last set of figures, covering the winter months of 2004-2005, the number of winter deaths reached nearly 30,000. There are policies in place to help people who are fuel-poor, but they do not know that they are fuel poor and can access help. This is where community nurses come in. Health professionals are usually welcome visitors in any house and enjoy a degree of trust from the public. People who need help with their fuel poverty needs probably claim it the least. Many are isolated by poor health or their own poverty. Community nurses do not have the time to become experts but helping their clients to benefit from these programmes would help them to feel better. So encouraging older people who may be cold and poor to explore benefit health checks could transform their income, warmth and health (Mervyn Kohler 2006). Someone living in a deprived area is more than twice as likely to have a long term illness compared with someone in a weathly area. People living with a long term illnesses are likely to be more disadvantaged across a range of social factors such as employment, qualifications, home ownership and income. The impact of deprivation can also be seen in terms of mental health and wellbeing, with a recent Scottish survey reporting higher levels of mental wellbeing being associated with those on higher incomes (Scottish Government 2007). Studies on the impact of temporary unemployment have demonstrated that being out of work is bad for an individuals health. Those analyses did not control for the economic cycle, however. In a recent study, Strully24 looked at US interview data taken from 1999, 2001 and 2003 Panel Study of Income Dynamics. People were asked about certain aspects of their employment, their health and a variety of health conditions. Losing your job was associated with a 54% chance of reporting fair or poor health, and for a person with no pre-existing health conditions, the chances of reporting a new one increased by 83% with job loss. Low unemployment is also associated with the reporting of more poor health conditions (S Bezchruka 2009). The Black Report, published in 1980 stated that although the establishment of the National Health Service the differences between the health of the rich and poor had widened not narrowed, health had improved over all socio-economic groups but had been greater among the educated and wealthy (Oxford Journal). The Acheson Report, published in 1998, called for an increase in benefit for women of childbearing age, expectant mothers, young children and pensioners and said that many people on low incomes had insufficient money to buy the food and services necessary for good health. It also called for more funding for education in deprived areas; better nutrition at schools; Children should learn about parenting and relationships, and should receive sex education. (Telegraph 2010). The above reports by Black and Acheson collected information which showed that ill health and disease are socially patterned with the more wealthy groups of society living longer and enjoying better health than deprived groups. Nevertheless health has slowly improved but there is still a great divide between socioeconomic groups and their health status (Naidoo Wills 2009). The Index of Multiple Deprivation 2007. There are seven measurements of deprivation these include income, employment, health and disability, skills and training, education, housing, living environment and crime. There are also six district summary scores for each Local Authority district (there are 354 districts in England) and for each County Council and higher tier (there are 149 of these). A relative ranking of areas, according to their level of deprivation is then provided. There are also supplementary Indices measuring income deprivation amongst children and older people: the Income Deprivation Affecting Children Index (IDACI) and the Income Deprivation Affecting Older People Index (IDAOPI) (Communities.gov 2007). In conclusion although the Governments pledge to eradicate child poverty by 2020 is underway there is still a great deal to consider in order to help both young and old people.

Prader-Willi Syndrome Essay -- essays research papers

Prader-Willi Syndrom Prader-Willi Syndrome is a serious genetic disorder that begins at birth with no known cure ; causing mental retardation,short stature,low muscle tone,incomplete sexual development,and its main charecteristic,the desire to eat everything and anything in sight. Prader-Willi syndrome was first known as Prader-Labhart-Willi Syndrome after three Swiss doctors who first described the disorder in 1956. The doctors described a small group of kids with obesity, short stature and mental deficiency , neonatal hypotonia (floppiness) and a desire to constantly eat because they are always hungry. Many other features of PWS have since been described, but extreme obesity and the health problems associated with being fat are the most prominent features. Individuals with PWS have some but not all of the same features and symptoms. PWS is a birth defect. A defect in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain, is suspected to be the cause.The hypothalamus determines hunger and satiety.They can’t fell satiety,so they always have a urge to eat.Some PWS cases are so out of control thay will eat bottlecaps,glass,pencils,garbage,bugs,dogfood, and anything else they can stuff in their mouths. "The ingenuity and determination of PWS children in surreptitiously obtaining edibles is almost legendary and belies their cognitive defects. Serial weighing may be the only way to discover whether such a child is, in fact, stealing food"(Finey,1983). PWS occurs in about l in 10,000 births. It occurs in both males and females equally and is found in people of all races and all nations.It is one of the ten most common conditions seen in genetics clinics. Young people with PWS resemble each other very much.Most of the time, they look like brother and sister. Most of PWS people have almond shaped eyes, narrow foreheads, downturned mouth, thin upper lip and a small chin. Other common features are : obesity , they may be short; they have small hands and feet; have a skin picking habit, thick and sticky saliiva,incomplete sexual development, a curved spine (scoliosis),and chronic sleepiness. PWS patients also have similar personalities: talkative, friendly,extreme attempts towards getting food,arguementivness,repetitve thoughts and behavior, stubbornness, frequent temper tantrums, and sometimes sudden acts of violence. Most people with PWS have some degree of men... ...th PWS after six months of growth hormone treatment Other significant actions of growth hormone that have been reported is an improvement of muscle mass, muscle strength, energy expenditure, bone mineralization ,sexual development ,and also a decrease in fat mass ,have led to further investigations in people with PWS. Children with PWS have distinct behavioral abnormalities because of all the frustrations associated with the syndrome. These behaviors may begin as early as two years of age. They will get a variety of different eating behaviors like foraging for food, secretly eating large amounts of food, and other attempts to continue eating. Other problems include verbally and physically aggressive behaviors such as lying, stealing, scratching and skin picking. Tantrums and unprovoked outbursts are common among children and youths with PWS. People with mild cases of PWS can do many things their normal peers can do,such as go to school,get jobs,and sometimes even move away from home.However they need a lot of help.Kids going to school would need to be enrolled in special education programs(Otherwise they’d be eating their pencil and paper).They need to be constantly supervised.

Factors Associated with Divorce :: Divorce Marriage Relationships Essays

Factors Associated with Divorce Research shows there are 4 major factors that increase the likelihood of divorce A. Divorce Caused By Age At Marriage 1. As age when married decreases, likelihood of divorce increases - Couples under the age of 18 are much more likely to divorce than couples who marry at any later age 2. Younger Couples Are: - Unprepared for marriage - Unaware of what is expected of them - Not mature enough to handle responsibilities 3. Drawbacks - The younger you are the less dating experience you’ve had - Not sure what you really value in a partner - Being young they may get bored and prefer a new marriage as opposed to their current one - Young couples have few reasons not to divorce - May have married without parents permission, so divorce may be supported by family - Likely do not have property together 4. Marrying due to pregnancy - Having a child before or early in marriage - Gives couple little time to adjust to each other and demands of marriage - May limit the parents’ educational and occupational goals - Increases financial strain on relationship B. Race 1. Studies show African Americans have higher divorce rates than Whites or Latinos - African Americans also much more likely to remain in a â€Å"separated† status - Their greater likelihood of being unemployed and living in poverty contribute to marital disruption 2. African American women are: - Less likely to marry - More likely to separate or divorce - Less likely to remarry On average African American women spend only about half the amount of time white women spend in marriage. C. Socioeconomic Status 1. Lower socioeconomic strata of society: - Lower levels of education, Lower incomes, Lower-status occupations - Higher marital instability rates Poor families are twice as likely to breakup as nonpoor families. - Lower-status married couples may have higher divorce rates because they

Outline & Evaluate the Functionalist Approach to Crime & Deviance Essay

This question includes assessment of your understanding of the connections between crime and deviance and sociological theory. Functionalist explanations of deviance begin with society as a whole looking for the origins of deviance in the nature of society, not the biological or psychological make up of an individual. Functionalists favour quantative methods to look at society, using statistics to see society as a whole, rather than looking at the individual’s effect on society. The majority of Functionalist’s ideas on crime derive from the work of Durkheim. Durkheim believes that crime in inevitable because not every member of society shares the same values and norms; every society has crime, particularly the most advanced industrial societies. Crime is seen as not only inevitable, but functional to society because it allows for change, which is vital for society to function. Durkheim argues that crime brings society together, as in the case of the Soham murders. From this point of view it can be questioned what the function of punishment is, Durkheim believes punishment is a form of social control and act as a signal to people. A.K Cohen developed Durkheim’s ideas further, providing further possible functions of deviance. Firstly deviance can act as a safety valve providing an expression of discontent. Cohen uses the example of prostitution, he believes this protects the institution of the family and provides a release from the stress of family life without undermining family stability because the relationship between prostitute and client has no emotional attachments. In other words it is fine for a man to use a prostitute, but not to have an affair because that would jeopardise the family! Cohen believes that deviance acts as a warning device too indicate that an aspect of society is malfunctioning, thus drawing attention to it and allowing the problem to be resolved. An example of this is the Los Angeles riots that drew attention to the mistreatment of blacks, likewise the Steven Lawrence case. Durkheim and Cohen’s work is important because it moved ideas away from biological and psychological explanations for deviance, rather seeing it being society itself creating crime. However, other sociologists believe the functions are too narrow and class differences are not examined.